The Trophy Case

The Clifford D. Mallory Trophy

ISSA Fleet Racing National Championship

The Mallory Trophy is school sailing’s oldest trophy. It was selected and presented to the then-IYRA (now ISSA) by Clifford Mallory and his son, when the elder Mallory was Commodore of Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, and President of NAYRU, the predecessor of US SAILING. The early competitions were in Atlantic-class sloops, hence the sterling silver model of the original Atlantic on the trophy. In recent years the competition for the ISSA Nationals has been in double handed dinghies in a two-division format. This was initiated when the U.S. Naval Academy took over hosting the event, after many years at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in keel sloops and Ravens. Prior to that stewardship, the series had been hosted by clubs, and once by a school for their first venture into dinghies, Fireflies at St. George’s in 1959. The Mallory competition now is rotated among the ISSA districts. – Link to PDF history of the first 40 events

The Toby Baker Trophy

ISSA Team Racing National Championship

In 1990, the Board of Directors established the Interscholastic Sailing Association (ISSA)’s National Team-Racing Championship for the Baker Trophy, named for Toby Baker, Tabor Academy’s (Marion, MA) then long time head sailing coach, in recognition of Toby’s commitment to high school sailing and to team racing in particular. Toby served as President and Treasurer of ISSA and as President of the New England School Sailing Association (NESSA). He coached high school sailing first at Taft, and then at Tabor. His influence helped interscholastic sailing evolve into a national organization. The championship venue now rotates among the ISSA districts.

The Cressy Trophy

ISSA Singlehanded National Championship

Morton Starr Cressy, Jr. was a 1927 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and an avid sailor. The Cressy Trophy was presented to the Naval Academy by his wife in his memory. The Cressy Trophy Regatta was originally a multi-division invitational high school regatta sailed in 420s and Lasers, hosted by USNA since 1979, sometimes in conjunction with the ISSA Mallory Trophy Regatta. The Deed of Gift was changed in 1985 to rededicate the Cressy Trophy as the National High School Singlehanded Championship trophy, sailed in Lasers. Since 1990, it has been recognized by the Interscholastic Yacht Racing Association, now the Interscholastic Sailing Association (ISSA), as the ISSA National Singlehanded Championship. Competition now rotates annually among the several ISSA districts, in the Fall of the preceding calendar year.

The Stuart Bullivant Bowl

ISSA Sportsmanship Trophy

Stuart Bullivant was an early mentor of school sailing, known for his sportsmanlike attitudes and teachings. The Bullivant Bowl is Interscholastic Sailing’s National Sportsmanship Award. The winner is nominated for the US Sailing’s Van Alan Clark Sportsmanship Trophy, the national award for the sport of sailing in the United States. In 1993, ISSA’s Newport Harbor High School Sailing Team won these national honors.

The ISSA Sportsmanship Program is fundamentally a local and district initiative. The nominees for the Bullivant are the sailors recognized by their district as outstanding examples of that most desirable characteristic. Nominees may be individuals, crews or teams of school sailors. In addition, nominations are accepted from event chairs and chief judges at the national championships and other major regattas; and from coaches, for sailors from a district other than their own.

The Ted King Award is made to recipients of the Bullivant trophy, and is their “keeper” trophy. Ted King lived sportsmanship.

The Board’s minutes regarding the acceptance of the Bullivant Trophy reads that the trophy be awarded “at the discretion of the Executive Committee... [taking into account] the crew’s attitude and conduct ashore and afloat, its respect for boats and equipment, and its ability to take adversity in stride.” Guidelines are circulated to District Directors, and nominations are due annually by June 1. Being a good sport is a way of life which we encourage among our sailors. The Bullivant Award is made when circumstances warrant.

The Jeff Spranger Award

In 1999, the Board of Directors established the Jeff Spranger Award. The Jeff Spranger Awards are made to recognize the extraordinary dedication and selflessness of Jeff's service to school sailing for well over 40 years.

An award is given when the situation warrants to individuals who clearly emulate Jeff's example in kind and quality of service, in cheerful accomplishment of the many tasks which make school sailing work for sailors.

Nominations may be made by a member of the Board of Directors, and will be voted upon by the Board in time for presentation at the next Annual Meeting of the Corporation.

The President’s Award

These awards are made for exceptional service, at the discretion of the President as the situation warrants.

The first of these awards made in 2004 was to Geoffrey Spranger, in recognition of his long faithful and capable service to school sailing, - IYRA, ISYRA, and ISSA, in every role from coach to President over a span of over 50 years. He remains a trusted advisor and the corporate memory, after a final stint as editor of the ISSA newsletter for its first twelve years in this latest edition and as a key member of the Nominating Committee, selecting the team for the transition of ISSA to new management.

In 2005 Andrew Cole was recognized for his many and extensive contributions to ISSA as Counsel. In an exceptionally busy period over two years he drafted several key documents and reviewed and modified many others, while providing sound advice to decision-makers. These services are in duplicable since Andrew brings to this assignment not only his love of sailing and his background as a school sailor but also his considerable skill as a counselor in the best and fullest meaning of the word.

The Great Oaks Regatta

The Great Oaks Regatta New School Invitational provides a national-level regatta for developing teams, creating an opportunity to compete with peers as a team grows in numbers and skill. A system of regattas for new teams within Districts, in local leagues and District-wide, provides for development of skills and attitudes, and identifies teams ready to go forward to a national-level event.

A developing new team could qualify for all four of ISSA’s national events: Great Oaks and the three National Championships Cressy (in radial and full-rig Lasers), Mallory (two division double-handed) and Baker (3 on 3 team racing).

The Great Oaks Regatta New School Invitational was introduced into the ISSA calendar November 13-14, 1999, hosted by Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans. All schools that have been members of ISSA for three years or less, have not qualified for the Mallory or Baker Regatta, and have renewed for the current year, and all that have joined for the first time in the current year, are eligible to enter the selection process in use in their Districts. A team is comprised of no fewer than two nor more than four sailors who must be full-time students in the school they represent.